Yachting Monthly - July 2018

CONCLUSION

Even with a budget of £350,
there are some remarkably
good sets of oilskins on the
market. Different brands
have focused on different
kinds of waterproofs at this
price point: Musto and Zhik
have gone more lightweight;
Henri Lloyd sit in the middle
with heavier construction
but minimalist design; Gill,
Tribord, Helly Hansen and
Gull have gone for pared-
down versions of their
offshore kit. It’s up to you
to pick what’s important to
you, although for inshore
and coastal sailing, we liked

the suits that had at least

some cargo pockets and

some handwarmer pockets.

On this score, the Helly

Hansen, Gill, Gul and

Tribord did very well.

All the suits used own-

brand fabric, all made to be

waterproof and breathable,

and all use fully taped seams.

Have a look at the fabrics

waterproof rating – this

will have an impact on how

prolonged a soaking you can

endure before you feel damp.

The big surprise from our

test was how well Decathlon

did with its Tribord 500

jacket. If the brands were

not marked on the clothes,

it would be very difficult to

tell that this one is half the

price of the others. We think

this brand will be making

waves in the sector if it’s

longevity is up to scratch.

We liked the Musto a lot

and it would be a great set of

waterproofs for the summer,

but for our money, Helly

Hansen ticked the most

boxes: lightweight and

stylish, robust waterproofing,

excellent protection, plenty

of pockets and performed

well in the water test. Its

only weak spot was the

rather basic salopettes.

Finally, it was a close call

for the runner-up position.

The Gill, Gul, Henri Lloyd

and Zhik suits were all in

strong contention. In the

end, the super comfy Zhik

Kiama narrowly pipped the

Gill OS3 Coastals to the post.

Surprisingly effective seals

and a few nice details made

them a pleasure to wear. Gill

were solid and had a good

level of features that put it

just ahead of Henri Lloyd.

WITH THANKS TO INSPIRATION MARINE FOR PROVIDING THEIR HANSE 388

AS YACHTING MONTHLY’S TEST BASE FOR THIS ARTICLE. WWW.INSPIRATIONMARINE.CO.UK

GROUP TEST

Our waterproofs testing

platform was a Hanse 388

See YM Dec 2017 for our

full test of the Hanse 388

Need a shower? Our hose-

down test looked for any

waterproofing weak spots